Why this trek
Nag Tibba Trek was as impromptu as it could be. I was looking for an outdoor adventure and grabbed the first opportunity I got. My colleague had taken the trek and he had some good words to say about it. It is a trek up the mountains of Uttarakhand with a panoramic view of the snow lad peaks of the Himalayas. Although, I have enjoyed the scenic views of the Himalayas in many of my earlier trips like Lansdowne, Rishikesh and even in Nepal but only once had I actually been on a Himalayan mountain which was when I visited Kashmir. It is hard to say if being on the most majestic mountain is better than viewing it from a distance.
The planning
I contacted the person in charge who gave me a good overview. Some of the details didn’t match during the actual trip though. The trek was a 1 N / 2D event and cost only Rs 2200/-. I paid Rs 500/- in advance and started my preparation as I had only 2 days.
I already had a basic list of to-dos from my earlier trips and for this trip I took a little extra precaution. I packed both upper and lower inners along with the gloves and woolen cap as I knew I was trekking during winters. I kept the toiletries like tooth brush, paste, comb etc. although I never got the time nor the space to use them. As expected there weren’t proper washrooms and bathrooms to use them so skipping these chores for couple of days didn’t add much annoyance.
I kept dry fruits for emergency and mentally prepared to not eat mindlessly during the trip. This would keep me light and help me to travel farther and faster. I skipped small snacks and junk wherever I could. Basic breakfast, lunch and dinner was included in the package (surprising considering the package cost was so low). Poha, Chai (Tea), Pakora, Roti, Chawal, Dal and Rajma was the staple diet that was served during the trip. I must admit that it was well prepared and delivered.
I travelled from Gurgaon to Dehradun on a bus (Redbus – booked online). I didn’t want any last minute surprises so I had booked my return ticket as well.
Some people were carrying medicine and booze (in hindi it means dawa and daroo) which helped them and others in equal measure.
The route
The route was standard and pretty much on expected lines with no delays or surprises.
10:30 pm to 5:30 am Dehradun to Prince Chowk
8:00 am to 12:00 pm Dehradun to Pantwari
1:30 pm to 4:30 pm Nag Pantwari to Nag Tibba camp
3:15 am to 5:15 am Base camp to Nag Tibba
5:15 am to 6:30 am Nag Tibba to Peak for sunrise – I didn’t go. Guide asked me not to as it was too steep and dark at that time
8:50 am to – Nag Tibba to Base camp
11:15 am to 1:30 pm – Base camp to Pantwari
Took bolero 1/3 of the way for 100 bucks. Right knee hurt like hell. Was able to move only 1/10th of the speed on the steep slope
2 pm to 6 pm – Pantwari village to Dehradun
10:30 pm to 5:15 am – Dehradun to Gurgaon
The people
People from all over India especially from Mumbai, Kerela and Chennai were attending it. The biggest croud of course belonged to the the NCR (North Capital Region) which includes New Delhi, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Noida etc.
I soon realized I was way older than the average trekker as I was regularly being reffered to as Sir or Unclue. I didn’t mind it at all and in fact I was enjoying all the respect I was getting. A group of college friends took a liking to me and happily shared their Old Monk which they were carrying for having a good time.
Apart from the trek it was the people which made the trip enjoyable. It helped me meet different presonalities with different abilities in trekking or otherwise. Some were social and others not so much and yet a different set of people who were selectively social. People mostly stuck to their groups and unknowingly missed the opportunity to make new friends from different backgrounds.
The venue had a decent music system and the evening bon-fire added the extra spark to the cold atmosphere. It wasn’t a big fire and certainly not for cooking a big animal, it did provide people with warmth and motivation to shake a leg on trending music playlist.
The locations
The trip included 4 stops.
First was the Pantwari village. It was a small hamlet with a temple in the middle. We had lunch there and freshened up in a small hotel.
From there we trekked to the Base Camp where tents were given for the overnight stay. The trek was around 4 km which took around 3 hours. It had a magnificient view and we could enjoy the sunset from there.
From Base Camp we left for the Nagar Tippa at 3:15 am in the morning while it was still dark. It was not a village and had just two structures one being used as a canteen and a place to sleep. The other was occasionaly used by forest department officials. Because of it’s location at a higher altitude, it was terrribly cold and thankfully they had sleeping bags when we reached at 5:15 am in the moringing before sunrise.
The final stop was The Summit to witness the sunrise. I couldn’t go there as I was advised by the guide that it was very steep. Considering I was tired and it was still too dark, I skipped the final part of the trek. I don’t think I will ever be sure whether I took the right decision but these are the realizations that you encounter on such challenging yet beautiful trips.
The experience
Some people by nature look for different experiences and I consider myself to be one of them. In personal and professional life I took challenges with varied results. The experience of this trip was no different.
Although I was on the average 10 years older and 20 kgs heavier than most “kids” there, the trip meant a lot to me. It helped me test my stamina and balance because these are the two things that you need most when you are climbing up or down the mountain. I try to hit the gym regularly but mostly stick to strength training but this physical endeavor tested both my stamina and balance.
Unfortunately on the way down, I ended up hurting my knee. I didn’t fall or hit anything but maybe it was because of the muscles used for climbing down the mountain (which is different from climbing down the stairs) were not strong enough to hold the body weight. I really struggled for the 2 km trek down as I was in searing pain and could take only “baby steps”. I was using my hand wherever I couldn’t rely on my righ leg. I couldn’t catch up with my group but thankfully the wonderful people waited for me. I realized that although I could lift double or triple the weight these people could lift, strength was not the most important factor that mattered during treks.
The whole trip included bursts of mental activity and emotional highlights as you get lot of time to reflect especially if you are travelling solo. It helped me go deeper into my thoughts and understand the unique perspective of different events in my life.
All in all it was an amazing experience, taking my physical, mental and spiritual abilities to higher levels. Although I could have prepared better like buying suitable clothing and not doing it in jeans, I was better off compared to my earlier treks. Not sure when the next trip will happen but definitely looking forward to it.
